US oil suffers rare losing day, ends near $107

Reuters with CNBC.com

Monday, 22 Jul 2013 | 2:48 PM ETCNBC.com

SHARES

Getty Images

U.S. oil prices pulled back from last week's 16-month high on Monday, settling just below $107 as traders locked in profits from a blistering rally that briefly sent U.S. crude to a premium over Brent for the first time in nearly three years.

European marker Brent regained its premium over West Texas Intermediate on Monday, as the squeeze on prompt U.S. supplies eased ahead of the August NYMEX contract expiration later in the day.

"We thought $110 was a price target but the more the market dips into this range the more you'll see profiteers," said Rich Ilczyszyn, chief market strategist and founder of iitrader.com in Chicago.

In choppy, directionless trading, the WTI contract for August delivery lost $1.14 to finish the session at $106.91. September Brent crude rose by about 2 cents to trade above $108.

More Capacity

What's driving oil?

Checking on the oil market, with Jeffrey Grossman, BRG Brokerage, who does not think oil is headed higher; and Chris Faulkner, Breitling Oil and Gas founder and CEO, who says we are going back to a time where "WTI is trading at a premium to Brent."

The convergence of the two front-month crude benchmarks comes as increased pipeline capacity has drained the glut of oil at the WTI delivery point of Cushing, Okla., to the Gulf Coast, where refinery demand has been high.

The easing of the Cushing glut has not led to lower prices at the Gulf Coast as refineries there are eager to cash in on robust margins and exports.

The price rally also has been driven by concerns that the market is flipping from glut to drought, fueling a sharper run in prompt contracts to create a backwardated market, with near-term prices higher than those further in the future.

"The extraordinarily strong backwardation is strengthening and bringing everyone into the WTI," said Olivier Jakob, an analyst at Petromatrix in Zug, Switzerland.

Brent could garner support from a stronger demand growth outlook and supply risks in the Middle East and Sudan, according to Carsten Fritsch, analyst at Commerzbank.

Hedge funds amassed record bets on rising U.S. crude oil prices in the week to July 16, trade data by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed.

A pledge on the weekend by the Group of 20 nations, which account for 90 percent of the world economy, to put growth before austerity has fueled hopes of a recovery in the consumption of commodities.

The market watched also closely as Japanese Prime minister Shinzo Abe won a decisive victory in upper house elections, which was seen as a boost for his radical economic stimulus policies.